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NATIONAL Mesothelioma Awareness Day!!
Last night, the House of Representatives passed H. Res. 771 designating September 26th as “National Mesothelioma Awareness Day”! This is a national resolution that doesn’t require renewal; every September 26th, from 2011 forward, will be National Mesothelioma Awareness Day.
We would like to extend a monumental and sincere thank you to our incredible community and our advocates and allies for all of your hard work and persistence. This resolution, which was in the works for over a year, is crucial to raising national awareness of mesothelioma and we look forward to using this momentum to continue to create progress.
We will be issuing a press release later today, in conjunction with Representative Betty McCollum of Minnesota (who introduced and pushed this bill through the House), but wanted you to be the first to know about this important milestone.
Yours in the fight,
Kathy
Kathy Wiedemer
Executive Director
Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation
1317 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 879-3821
www.curemeso.org
National News For MARF!
The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation is getting major accolades this week. A public service announcement has been placed in the December 6th edition of the National Enquirer.
“I am thrilled to announce that, thanks to the tireless efforts of a dedicated Foundation member the National Enquirer has published a full page announcement featuring mesothelioma and the Meso Foundation,” writes Kathy Wiedemer in a recent mailing to supporters of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.
The Executive Director goes on to tell readers the edition is currently on sale. “We are grateful for this incredible opportunity to bring mesothelioma to the spotlight and look forward to the increased awareness that this type of exposure provides.”
This significant addition to the work of the Meso Foundation comes on the heels of a few other major developments within the organization in the last year.
Weidemer accepted the position as Executive Director and gallantly lead the Meso Foundation into it’s annual Symposium in June of 2010.
Great strides were made in many states to make September 26th Mesothelioma Awareness Day. According to a list created by the Meso Foundation, the House passed a resolution to acknowledge a national Mesothelioma Awareness Day. The national day has since lost momentum and some of the state legislators who were in support of the HR771 lost their seats in the recent election.
More and more races titled Miles for Meso are popping up around the country. According to the South Florida Miles for Meso website registration has just opened.
In the coming weeks the Meso Foundation public service announcement will appear in Enquirer, Globe & Star magazines.
Cancer, The Leading Cause of Death in NC
Story ripped from News 14 Carolina, a Time Warner cable news program.
RALEIGH — The North Carolina Division of Public Health reports that cancer is now the leading cause of death in North Carolina, displacing heart disease.
According to newly released 2009 statistics, cancer claimed the lives of 17,476 people last year while heart disease was responsible for 17,133 deaths.
“Cancer and heart disease have consistently ranked highest in their toll on the people of North Carolina,” State Health Director Jeff Engel said. “For the most part, these are preventable diseases, so we must continue to educate our citizens about lifestyle changes they can make to stay healthier.”
The most deadly cancers were lung and throat cancer, colorectal cancer and breast cancer, comprising 46 percent (8,076) of the total cancer deaths. More men (9,356) than women (8,120) died of cancer in 2009.
Heart disease remains the top killer among women.
For more information on the leading causes of death in North Carolina as well as specific breakdowns of top killers by age group, visit the State Center for Health Statistics website.
For information on cancer prevention and resources in our state, visit nccancer.com
Asbestos Scare At Major NYC Stadium
Madison Square Garden asbestos scare needs to ignite broader safety dialogue
Officials canceled last night’s game at Madison Square Garden against the Orlando Magic because “asbestos-related” material fell from the building’s attic and landed on the arena. The asbestos material was dislodged because the attic had been cleaned earlier for routine maintenance.
Further testing later last night revealed that the dust was not asbestos. Despite this, credit is due to Garden officials for reacting with caution and taking asbestos seriously. Too often, this is not the case, as many people wrongly believe asbestos is banned, making it an outdated safety topic.
Last night’s events illustrate all too clearly that asbestos exposure is a very current and very real safety concern for the 21st century. Being exposed to asbestos can happen to anyone. What if that dust had fallen during the game? The World Health Organization has stated there is no standard for safe exposure, meaning its possible one breath could create an exposure incident severe enough to develop mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer with no cure.
Yet, the public unfortunately remains uninformed about asbestos exposure and its dangers. More than 10,000 Americans die every year from asbestos-related disease like mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis, according to the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. Since 1940, millions of workers have been exposed to asbestos including individuals involved in the rescue, recovery and cleanup of 9/11 World Trade Center attacks, according to the National Cancer Institute.
The Madison Square Garden incident, thankfully, was only a scare. That said, it is also an opportunity to ignite more public awareness that asbestos is a current safety concern that needs to be addressed. It surrounds us. In our attics, shingles, plumbing and cement. So how can we keep the conversation going? How can we make more people aware about an unnecessary disease like mesothelioma? Do you have any ideas? If you do, we’d love to hear from you.
posted on the Simmons Law Firm Blog
A New Friend To Our ‘Action’ Site
Action Against Asbestos now has it’s very own LOGO! It was created by a dear friend of mine & owner/proprietor of Raleigh Web Design.
Thank you Anthony! We appreciate your on-going support!
Action Against Asbestos 
